Some Tumblety articles

[Mike Covell]

Here you go folks, a couple of scans that could, or could not have some bearing on Francis Tumblety.

The first is from the Eastern Morning News on Wednesday 2nd January 1889 and published in Hull, England.

[Mike Covell]

This image is a scan taken from the Hull Daily Mail, dated Thursday 4th October 1888 and published in Hull, England.

[mklhawley]

This is outstanding Mike, especially when many reject the possibility of Tumblety being a potential suspect because of his height and mustache. The police certainly considered a person of this stature a suspect. Thanks!

Mike

[Mike Covell]

Your welcome Mike.

[c.d.]

This is outstanding Mike, especially when many reject the possibility of Tumblety being a potential suspect because of his height and mustache. The police certainly considered a person of this stature a suspect. Thanks!

Mike

Hi Mike,

Don't forget age as well. Tumblety was 55 at the time. A far cry from the witnesses' description of a man around 30.

c.d.

[Phil Carter]

Hello Mike,

Umm, am I reading that wrong or isn't the description for the 2nd person, not the American? Forgive me if I a wrong.

best wishes

Phil

[Mike Covell]

Thats right Phil, the first little paragraph on that report is about the American, the next body of text is about two other suspects.

[mklhawley]

The 5 ft 10 inches guy is said to look around 40. I'm 47, and I look 30. Now, that's wishful thinking!

[mklhawley]

Greetings all,

Joe Chetcuti and Chris Phillips got together and dug up this newspaper article from The British Library in London. The story is familiar. It is about a patient who died soon after taking Tumblety's nostrum.



LIVERPOOL WEEKLY COURIER
Saturday January 30, 1875
Page 3


THE CASE OF HANRATTY

On Wednesday the adjourned inquest was held on the body of Edward Hanratty, 91 Athel street, a sheeter employed on the railway, who died somewhat suddenly on the 13th instant. From the reports of the case which have already appeared it will be remembered that the deceased became ill and was for about four months attended by Dr. Bligh. He subsequently consulted a man named Tumblety, who lives in Duke street, and calls himself the "Great American Doctor," who tapped him on the chest and undertook to cure him for 50s., which he subsequently reduced to 30s. He gave the deceased's wife some pills, herbs, and mixture, with instructions as to use. The deceased took a tablespoon of the mixture and died the same night. Tumblety was then asked for a certificate as to the cause of death, but denied all knowledge of the case, and returned the 30s. to the wife of the deceased. Application was subsequently made to Dr. Bligh, who refused to grant a certificate, but reported the matter to the coroner. An inquest was held on the deceased on the 19th instant, and was adjourned for an analysis of the brain of the deceased.

The first witness called yesterday was Dr. John Bligh, who said since the inquest was adjourned he had, in conjunction with Dr. Samuel, made an examination of the brain and head of deceased, and found the membranes of the brain slightly congested, which he attributed to the general condition of the patient and not to any special cause whatever. He could not find any trace of opium in the brain, and if asked to certify as to the cause of death should attribute it to disease of the heart and lungs. An opiate would have aggravated the condition of the brain in the condition he found it, but there was nothing in the brain to account for death.

The Coroner -- Are you able from your investigation to say that death is the result of anything but heart disease and lung disease from natural causes? No.

James Campbell Brown, analytical chymist, said he had made an analysis of the stomach of the deceased and its contents, and the general appearance of the stomach was healthy, the contents consisting chiefly of partly-digested cheese. He found no poison. He found no definite indications of a drug in the stomach. The symptoms and indications he got pointed to something of the nature of an opiate. If he had not been told of any he should not have known of it; but looking to the statement that a drug had been taken, the indications pointed to an opiate, but did not conclusively establish its presence. There was a small quantity of liquid adhering to the cheese and the coat of the stomach.

Dr. Bligh recalled. -- Sufficient opium might be taken to injure deceased in his condition shortly before he died, and yet not be traceable in his stomach after death.

Mr. Murphy, who appeared for Mr. Tumblety, was proceeding to ask Dr. Bligh certain questions, with a view of proving that after he (Dr. Bligh) had arranged with Tumblety to meet him at a certain time and in a certain place and failed to keep his promise, Tumblety being thus precluded from attending the post-mortem examination when the Coroner asked Mr. Murphy if he wished to say that Mr. Tumblety had been in any way precluded from attending the examination, and intimated that if it became necessary he would have the body exhumed.

Mr. Murphy said he was so instructed, and Mr. Tumblety had said that he "could not expect any appreciation" at the hands of any English jury; and further, that he had been informed the jury had been tampered with.

The Coroner said both in respect to the court and to himself Mr. Tumblety ought to have been present. If it was said that Mr. Tumblety was precluded from being present at the post mortem examination, he (the Coroner) would order a process to be served compelling him to attend the court and explain why he did not appear at the examination.

Mr. Murphy proceeded to allude to Tumblety as "The Great American Doctor," when the Coroner said he would not have sensationalism imported into the case. It was not so much importance whether Tumblety was an American doctor; it was of far more importance to know whether he was a doctor at all.

Mr. Murphy said he had no sympathy with impostors.

Mr. Murphy, by permission of the coroner, addressed a few words to the jury. He said that his client was formerly in a good position in America, and judging by documentary evidence, which he (Mr. Murphy) had no opportunity of verifying, Tumblety appeared to have been a man of some notoriety there. He thought he was perfectly justified in saying that deceased would have died without the medicine. He put a great price on it, thinking they would not have it, but they seemed to have confidence in him and paid the money.

The Coroner -- Your theory is he put this impossible price upon the medicine in order that they should not get it?

Mr. Murphy said Tumblety saw that they were poor persons, and he did not care to have anything at all to do with it. He put a price on it which he thought they would not give, but they had such confidence in him that they paid it. He ventured to suggest that Dr. Bligh would not have given the coroner and jury this trouble if some ordinary druggist had been gone to and some simple medicines sold.

The Coroner summed up the evidence to the jury, and commented in strong terms on the inhumanity of a man taking 30s. for an article which in all likelihood was not worth thirty pence. He could only describe it as an eagerness on the part of the man Tumblety, which could not be too strongly condemned, to obtain money on any terms.

The jury returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased died from natural causes, but whether death was accelerated by the administration of the mixture supplied to the deceased's wife by Mr. Tumblety, and administered by her to the deceased, there was no evidence to show. The jury also strongly censored the conduct of Mr. Tumblety in administering medicine, he being totally ignorant of the condition of the patient.

[Robert]

Thanks Mike. What a scoundrel the man was.

[Robert]

Tumblety used this case to get the Carroll libel case postponed for a month, citing possible risk of bias. When the case did get to court, no one showed up - maybe Tumblety slipped Carroll a few bob.

[Hunter]

And usually able to rely on good counsel when needed.